Power driven washing machine



Sept. 13, 1932. J FLETCHER 1,876,653

POWER DRIVEN WASHING MACHINE Filed March a, 19:50 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN'fOR I ATTORNEY sfipi. 13, 1932. J FLETCHER 1,876,653

POWER DRIVEN WASHING MACHINE Filed March 8. 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 /7 INVENTOR WW, ATTORNEY Sept. 13, 1932.

J. B. FLETCHER POWER DRIVEN WASHING MACHINE Filed March 8,

1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 77 mvemo spPpt. 13, 1932.

J. B. FLETCHER POWER' DRIVEN WASHING MACHINE Filed larch a. .1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 13, 1932 JOHN B. FLETCHER, OF NETW'IPOIR'JT, KENTUCKY POWER DRIVEN WASHING MACHINE Application filed March 8, 1930. Serial No. 434,403.

This invention relates to improvements in power driven washing machines and in-par-v I ticular to a type employing an oscillating dolly or agitator suspended into a tub from a hinged-coverof the tub. It is a common practice in power driven washing machines to mount an electric motor upon the underframing of the machine beneath the tub and to provide transmission shafting and gear- I ing from the motor upwardly along the side of the tub for transmitting a wrlnger at an elevation above the tub and to operate the dolly or agitator suspended from the covering of the tub.

It is therefore an object of the invention to improve the driving or transmission mechanlsm and to completely house th operating parts with the shafts at their bear- 7 e rotating or ings and the gearing housed within the oiltight enclosures so that the lubricant will endure for long periods plenishing and leaving no opp supply without I reortunity for any of the lubricant to ooze-out to smudge the clothing or washing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a transmission control for a dolly or agitator suspended into the tub lock for the cover to prevent serving as a opening the cover while the transmission is in driving connection with the dolly.

Another ob'ect of the nvention is toprovide improved means for oscillating the dolly which is of simple construction and-veryeflicient.

transmission mechanism and at an elevated position above the tub of the washing machine adapting the washing machine to be marketed either with or without The invention further consls of construction and combination the wringer. ts in details and arrangement of parts, all fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Figure l is a front elevation of the im- 7 proved power driven washing n attache 'wringer. I I

iachine with I Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 8-8, Figure 1. I

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the machine with the tub cover carrying thev agitator or dolly in its open position and the wringer swung into position with the tub. A portion of the tub is broken away to more clearly I illustrate the drain opening. Figure 5 is a top plan view of the cover supporting frame with the tub removed.

Figure 6 is a section on lines 6 -6, Figure 2. Figure 7 is a section on line 7 7, Figure 3. Figure 8 is an enlarged section on line 84-8, Figure 4. I I Referring to the drawings, 1' indicates a four-legged tub supporting frame upon which a tub 2 is supported and secured. The frame is provided with a rim' flanged ring 3 forming a clip band as a support for the the tub against lateral displacement and clips 5 fixed to the ring hooking over the bead 4 hold the tub upon the ring against vertical displacement. I I I -I The upper edge 6 of the tub isrolled or beaded inwardly for engaging into an annular groove of a flanged cover collar 7 rigidly secured to thetub. A metal cover 8 is hingedly secured toithe collar 7 and has a recessed joint connection with the collar when the cover is closed for making a sufficiently water-tight closure. The cover is preferably cast to provide an intermediate chamber and housing for the transmission gearing for driving a central vertical dolly oscillating shaft 9. A dolly 10'is coupled to the lower end of the shaft9, the dolly and coupling being substantially as disclosed and described in a pending application filed by me October 12,1929, Serial No. 399,337.

The transmission for driving the dolly shaft and for an attached swinging wringer. 5 comprises a motor 12 mounted upon a platform 13 of a cross frame 14 connecting with the legs of the tub supporting frame. The armature shaft of the motor carries a grooved pulley l5 transmitting a belt 16 engaged about'a driven pulley 17 fixed upon the end of a horizontally journalled shaft 18, journalled within and extending from a transmission casing 19 dependingly supported and fixed to the tub supporting ring of the main frame 1.

The shaft 18 projects through a stuffing box in the casing 19 and the portion of the shaft within the casing is provided with a worm meshing with a worm wheel on the lower end of a Vertical shaft 20, likewise extending through a stuffing box 21 in the hub extension I of a cover plate 22 fixed to the upper side of the transmission casing 19. The worm and worm wheel are not shown in the draw= The upper end of the vertical shaft 20 is journalled in a transmission casing 28 fixed to the stationary tub cover collar 7, the easing provided with a depending hub 24 furnishing the journal or hearing for the shaft and a stuffing box 25 about the shaft. The stuffing boxes 21 and 25 each is provided with an adjustable gland nut 26 having a hexagon or other faced head for locking the gland against rotation so that the adjustment or setting cannot be disturbed by the rotation of the shaft.

In the present instance the glands 21 and 25 are locked by a correspondingly configurated bore portion ofa tubular casing 27 enclosing the vertical shaft 20 between the transmission casings 19 and 23 with the opposite ends of the tubular casing telescopically engaged respectively with the projecting hub of said casings.

A gear 28 within the transmission casing 28 is fixed upon the upper end of the vertical shaft 18 in mesh with a spur gear of a compound spur and bevelled gear 29 fixed upon a second vertical shaft 80 having its lower end journalled within bearings in the transmission casing 28 and serving as a driving shaft for the wringer. The bevelled gear of the compound gear 29 is in mesh with a bevelled gear 81 fixed upon an end of a horizontal stud shaft 82 journalled within a bearing of the casing 28 and extends through a stufling box 88 provided in the outer end of the bearing for sealing against lubricant leakage. The stuiiing box is provided with a gland 84 locked by a locking clip 85 fixed to the casing 23. The outer end of the stud shaft 82 is provided with a lateral pin 86 adapted for a coupling engagement with a clutch collar 87 splined upon the end of a shaft 88 coaxial with the shaft 82. The shaft 88 journals in a bearing formed in the tub cover plate 89 and a part of the transmission casing formed integral with the cover plate. The outer end of the bearin is provided with a stuiiing box about the shaft 88 to seal against leakage of'lubricant from the transmission chamber enclosing the transmission gearing for oscillating dolly shaft 9. The shaft 88 carries a bevelled gear 41 in mesh with a bevelled gear 42 loose upon a stud shaft 48 mounted in the cover plate 89.

The bevelled gear 42 has a crank arm 44 extending laterally therefrom pivotally connecting with a link 45, the link in turn pivotally'connecting with an oscillating rack segment 46 suitably fulcrumed and having its rack teeth in mesh with a gear 47 fixed upon the upper end of the dolly shaft. With the rotation of the bevelled gear 42, a link 44 moves as a piston oscillating the rack segment which in turn reversely rotates or transmits the dolly shaft 9.

The clutch collar 87 is shifted upon the shaft 88 for coupling and uncoupling the shafts 82, .38 by an eccentric stud 48 journalled in a bracket 49 fixed to and extending upwardly from the tub cover 8. The eccentric stud 48 at its inner end engages into an annular groove of the clutch collar 87 and its opposite or outer end is provided with a handle 50 for manual control. The clutch collar is enclosed by a casing 51 fixed to the tub cover 8.

The transmission coupling for the dolly between the shafts 82, 88 serves also as a means for looking or securing the cover from being opened while the dolly is oscillated so that the power for driving the dolly must be disconnected before it is possible to raise the cover. This furnishes a safety feature, making it impossible to operate the dolly by power when the cover is opened and requiring the power to be cut off before the cover can be opened. The dolly is dependably supported from the cover and therefore moves therewith out of the tub when the cover is swung upwardly following the common practice for dolly types of washing machines.

The machine provides for a power driven swinging wringer as an attachment and therefore can be marketed with or without the wringer without change to the transmission mechanism for driving the dolly. As the wringer mechanism is more or less of a construction common in the art, except as to the method of supporting the wringer and connecting the transmission with the washer transmission, only general reference will be made to the various parts thereof.

A cover plate 52' for the transmission casing 28 fixed to the cover collar of the tub is provided with a vertically extended hub 53 concentric with the axis of the shaft 30 ournalled within the casing 23. The hub 53 serves as a socket telescopically receiving a hub 54 extending from a transmission casing 55 carrying a wringer 56. The transmission casing 55 houses the usual reversal gearing for the wringer clutch controlled and includes a shaft 57 journalled in the wringer transmission casing 55 coaxially with the shaft 30 to which it is coupled by a coupling collar 58 rotatably sustained within the hub 54 of the wringer transmission casing 55 by a pair of diametrically disposed set screws 5959 carried by the hub and extending into an annular groove in the coupling collar 58.

The wringer transmission casing is held against vertical displacement telescopically within the hub 53 by means of a set screw engaging into an annular groove in the periphery of the hub 54:. Thus the wringer and its transmission mechanism as a unit can be swung about the axis of the shafts 30 and 57 for bringing the same toa position over the tub or away therefrom. The wringer transmission is provided with a clutch controlling lever which also operates a locking device rendering it impossible to swing the wringer unless the reversing clutch occupies a neutral position. The details of construction thereof however, do not form a part of the present invention.

The wringer as an attachment to the washing machine can be readily attached or removed by merely slipping the same from or into the hub 53 of the transmission casing cap or cover. When the wringer attachment is removed, the upper end of the hub 53 may be closed by a suitable cap or the covering changed with another which will close the casing 23 and support the upper end of the shaft 30. 1

In Figure 8 a drain cock 60 for the tub is disclosed secured to a depending threaded end of a drain ferrule 61 seated into a box 62 formed on the ring of the tub supporting frame 1. This provides for making a comlink connecting said crank member and segment, a pair of axially aligned shafts, one supported and journalled upon said cover to be movable therewith and in gear connection with said crank member, and the second stationary relative thereto, and coupling means for rotatably; connecting said shafts when the cover is in'clo-sed position and thereby lock the cover against being opened.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

JOHN B. FLETCHER.

pression joint with the drain ferrule and base of the tub and a rigid mounting for the drain cock and without strain to the base of the tub as well as a simple and effective method for attaching the drain to the base of the tub.

Having described my invention, I claim:

In a washing machine, a tub, a stationary cover ring fixed to the upper edge of the tub, a cover hingedly mounted, upon said ring c0- operating therewith to provide a closure for the tub, an oscillating dolly carried by said cover depending into the tub when the cover is closed, transmission means for oscillating said dolly including a gear fixed upon the axle of said dolly, a rack segment fulcrumed upon said cover having its rack teeth in mesh with said gear, a rotative crank member, a 

